Fate in Oedipus the King
Fate. Even the word alone is intimidating. I believe I can safely say that everyone at one point in their lives have wondered about fate. "Christian fate" is something that I have never thought of before, though it is something that I believe in with all my heart. I believe that each person has a fate in store for them. Are human lives just a predetermined course of events?
The idea of destiny is one that has been written about since the beginning of time. In Sophocles' drama, Oedipus the King, fate seems to have a strong hold during the entire tale. How much of this story truly reflects reality? Where does Christianity fit into the picture of fate? These are the thoughts of the growing world around us.
The thought of something predetermined for our lives is a frightening one. Put yourself in Oedipus' position. He was told he would one day kill his father and sleep with his mother. Who wouldn't try and alter their future if told such horrid news? I believe that even though this ending was always going to happen to Oedipus he still had the chance to change the outcome. This same idea is reflected in each one of our lives as well. Oedipus made decisions that led to his sad ending.
God knows the ending of our lives. He knows what is in store for us. Does this mean that we have no choice or say in what happens in our lives? In my opinion, it doesn't. God knows what choices we are going to make. Like us, Oedipus had choices to make. Society often blames God for rough times in their lives, but most of the time the rough moments are results from our own bad choices. Sophocles cleverly weaves this idea into his drama.
I'm not sure if Oedipus could have changed his future by holding in his temper. Thankfully, our lives are not determined by Greek gods, but by the one true God, who gives us a choice for our future.
Christians, like Oedipus, know their fate. We know Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven.
Sophocles' tragic tale of Oedipus presents the reader with a very bleak view of mankind and the world in general. According to the story, every person is predestined to enact a role scripted by fate, a "mysterious power" that rules even the greatest of Greek gods (Hamilton, 27). In this tale, the source of this fate is not as clear as its function.
Throughout Greek literature, fate has been an influential piece in the plot of many Greek pieces. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus, King of Thebes, knows his prophecy, in which he is to kill his father and marry his mother. He was sent away to be killed by his parents, but he was saved by a servant and became the son of the King and Queen of Corinth. When he learns of his prophecy, he decides to flee Corinth, to not bring pain to his parents. Oedipus believes he is able to disrupt his fate, but fate is set and cannot be changed. From other Greek literature like the Odyssey, gods manipulate the character, but eventually, the outcome is the same. In Oedipus The King, Oedipus’ peripeteia is when Teiresias is summoned, once Teiresias speaks the truth,
Even though "fate" seems to determine Oedipus' life, he does, in fact, have a free will.
A common debate that still rages today is whether we as a species have free will or if some divine source, some call it fate, controls our destiny. The same debate applies to Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus. Does Oedipus control his actions, or are they predetermined by the gods? It’s that question that makes Oedipus a classic, and many different people think many different things.
If prophecy were to be real, one could expect what is bound to happen in the future. This is true; at least in “Oedipus the King” in which the protagonist, Oedipus calls forth his doom unwillingly. Fate is defined as something that unavoidably befalls a person. The author of “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles, writes a tragic fate that Oedipus was born to experience. Fate is what is meant to happen and cannot be avoided or unchanged. Furthermore, events that lead to other events could be the result for one to meet their fate. In “Oedipus the King,” Sophocles expresses the nature of fate to be determined upon choices made.
Some people say that there is no way to control your own life, that your life has been planned out for you ahead of time and there is nothing you can do to escape this fate. Others believe that your life is a matter of choice, and what happens to you during your life is a result of your actions. The story of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles seems to prove truth in both of these statements, that there is a life predetermined for you yet you can alter your life, but you can not escape your prophecy. The quote "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul," by William Henley states just the opposite of what seems to be proven in Oedipus Rex. Because of the references in the story of Oedipus, I disagree with the quote made by William Henley.
In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles’ most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus' destruction.
In Sophocles ' Oedipus the King, the themes of fate and free will are very strong throughout the play. Only one, however, brought about Oedipus ' downfall and death. Both points could be argued to great effect. In ancient Greece, fate was considered to be a rudimentary part of daily life. Every aspect of life depended and was based upon fate (Nagle 100). It is common belief to assume that mankind does indeed have free will and each individual can decide the outcome of his or her life. Fate and free will both decide the fate of Oedipus the King.
...ir own storyline of life, a life that already has a written ending and that is destine already to you. By the end of the play the audience is left with two facts, Oedipus fate is destine for downfall, and indeed Oedipus does fulfill his destiny. Nevertheless, the truth of the situation is that the path in which Oedipus’ ultimately takes is what leads him to fulfill the prophecy. If the audience choose to see the play from this prospective, then Oedipus’ the king will become much more significant, by doing so, giving the play a far better interpretation. Although Sophocles never clearly mentions in the play that Oedipus fate is due to his poor choices, the suggestion of the storyline is full with indication that the only person responsible for his own fate is Oedipus himself. Through his play Oedipus the King, Sophocles demonstrates to his audience the outcome of
Many times in life, people think they can determine their own destiny, but, as the Greeks believe, people cannot change fate the gods set. Though people cannot change their fate, they can take responsibility for what fate has brought them. In the story Oedipus, by Sophocles, a young king named Oedipus discovers his dreadful fate. With this fate, he must take responsibility and accept the harsh realities of what’s to come. Oedipus is a very hubris character with good intentions, but because he is too confident, he suffers. In the story, the city of Thebes is in great turmoil due to the death of the previous king, Laius. With the thought of helping his people, Oedipus opens an investigation of King Laius’s murder, and to solve the mystery, he seeks advice from Tiresias, a blind prophet. When Laius comes, Oedipus insists on having the oracle told to all of Thebes showing no sign of hesitation or caution. This oracle states that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus must learn to deal with his terrible and appalling fate the way a true and honorable king would. Because...
In Oedipus The King, Sophocles presents a view of life fixed by fate. This fate, predetermined by the gods, is the sole factor in deciding human destiny. Tiresias expresses his understanding of the unchangeable fate of Oedipus, laid out by the gods, as he argues with the King about revealing the truth of all the Theban troubles. When Oedipus, frustrated by the lack of cooperation, insults Tiresias, he responds "I pity you, flinging at me the very insults / each man here will fling at you so soon."(322) Even more telling of the fated existence of Sophocles' characters is Jocasta's revelation of prophecies given before Oedipus' birth which foretold all that the gods had in store, which had indeed come to pass (332).
...u. What does this mean exactly? Do you control your fate by accepting it? Or do you just live your life without trying to learn what your fate will be? Or is he just saying that no matter what you do, your fate will fulfill itself with or without your help? It seems likely that the point would be to just live your life and do not worry what fate will bring you because when you try to control the uncontrollable, you end up virtually painting yourself into a corner. Throughout the play Oedipus is seen to get broken from fate and trying to escape it. It would seem that he would lose all hope because no matter what he does, the prophecies laid out for him keep coming true. Sophocles was probably trying to say to just live your life. You cannot change your fate, so why not just keep it a surprise? Do not waste your time with oracles and do not try to control your fate.
would be to drop off the car and have a little time to play or put the
Free will is abound in Oedipus the King; any character who makes a decision of their own accord is a testament to that. Even Oedipus, whose life was fated from the start, made many decisions, ranging from how to fulfill his destiny to how to punish himself after finding out he had indeed murdered his father and married his mother, and most of which were shaped largely by his personality.
I think that if Oedipus and Jocasta had never of know of their fate it still would have come true. The gods would have just figured out another way for everything to happen the way it did. When the gods want something, they get it. Although we will never be able to know for sure if our fate is set in stone or not we know for sure that in Oedipus Rex the characters fate were all set in stone, whether for the good or for the bad.